“This is Your Day”
St. Luke reports that when Jesus approached Jerusalem, “He saw the city and wept over it.” Holy Scripture records for us only two occasions when Jesus wept. The first is when He arrived at the tomb of Lazarus, and then here pausing briefly on the Mount of Olives before His final entry into Jerusalem to redeem creation from the death curse of sin. At first glance, reading these accounts might lead you to think Jesus does the same action of weeping for both. St. John says, “Jesus wept.” (Jn. 11:35) The Greek word he uses here reports that Jesus “shed tears” which is a different word than is used for Jesus weeping over Jerusalem. That word, “klaio” is used when someone is weeping out loud in great distress. Wailing is a good English word which might be used here to indicate the deep physical and mental pain He has over her past, and her future.
Jesus shed tears for Lazarus because he had experienced the final consequence of sin in this world, death. So why does He wail over Jerusalem? Soon, she too will suffer the ultimate consequence of sin. About forty years after Jesus entered Jerusalem, a Roman army lead by Titus killed the many thousands of inhabitants and destroyed the city leaving not one stone on top of another. A Jewish historian named Josephus reported that the complete destruction was supervised by a great host of angelic warriors standing behind the Roman army. This was a judgment sent by God upon Jerusalem.
But His judgment was on more than a mere city, a collection of buildings and people living within the national boundaries of Judea. She was so much more than that. God chose her of all the cities in the world to be His city (1 Kings 11:13 ). It was where the Kings lived, and it was the location of the temple of the Lord. God’s people are Jerusalem, and it will be in Jerusalem where we will dwell with the Lord forever (Rev. 3:12; 21:2). Even today we think of the Jewish people as a whole when we speak of Jerusalem. So when Jesus is wailing over Jerusalem, He is wailing over the people of God whom He brought out of bondage. The people He made His dwelling in the midst of, and His people who were to be a light to the nations of the world. And on this day He wept over her.
This terrible sadness of Jesus flows from the blood of His prophets sent to Jerusalem calling her to repentance time and time again. Yet time and time again she poured out their blood in the streets rejecting the Word of the Lord. Now, on this day when the Word of the Lord enters her gates, she will reject Him again by hanging Him on a cross. The King James captures Jesus’ words so well as He wept, “If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from your eyes.” This was their day, the day their King, the Lord Himself was going to enter into Jerusalem! Yet, because of her prideful and unrepentant heart, Jerusalem could not see Jesus as her Bridegroom, her Lord and her King.
Have we missed our day? Are we guilty of the same blinding, prideful and unrepentant heart as Jerusalem was? Do we despise the hearing and study of God’s Word? Are we guilty of not passing on the faith to our children? Do we fail to model a Godly life to others by what we do and don’t do? Are we guilty of not caring for our neighbor, greed, adultery, disrespect, lying, unrepentance and unbelief? Yes, we most certainly are. These along with many more failures deserve judgment.
In spite of all our individual failures, it is ultimately unbelief which brings God’s judgment. Again and again the unbelieving people of God refused to hear His Word choosing instead to listen to the words of their own hearts. Even today some hear the Word of God and believe, repenting of their sin they plead for mercy. Others, out of their unbelief say they have no need to repent, even after repeated calls by God to return to Him. By doing this, they will surely receive the just judgment of God for their unbelief.
In His prophesy of judgment for Jerusalem, it is easy to miss the deep love God has for her, and for us. This was the day the people of God had long awaited, but they did not know it. They did not know this because they had been led astray by false prophets crying “peace, peace, when there is no peace” (Jer. 6:14). They said to themselves, “God is love and will not punish us” as many do today. Despite His great sadness, God lovingly withheld His hand from her a little longer. It would be a generation, the same time Israel wandered in the wilderness, that judgment would finally come.
Our God who calls us out of sin, and clothes us with His righteousness, does not hate His children. He allows sin to continue, but He will not let it run forever. In pain He endures it to give us opportunity to repent. A god who hates would have killed all of us long ago when we were deep in the dark waters of our sin. He would have killed off the people of Israel when they were wallowing in the worship of Baal. A god who hates would not give time to repent, confess sins and plead for mercy.
Beloved baptized children of God, can you see God’s tremendous love for you? Only a God of love would suffer rejection after rejection after rejection by the very people He loves. Only a God of love would delay judgment hoping that those who hate Him will come back so that He could pour out even more of His everlasting love on them. Only a God of love would say “because I love you so much, I will send My Son to die for you, so that you can live eternally.”
Our God of Love, Father, Son and Holy Spirit has called you to be His own child. He loves you so much that even while you were still a sinner, Christ died for you (Rom 5:8). Rising from the dead He destroys death forever, because He loves you. In love He offers you His body and blood to strengthen you and forgive your sin. In love he offers you His forgiveness personally and visibly through your Called and ordained servant.
Dear Christians, today is your day, as is every day of life in this world which will come to an end. Knowing a day of judgment is coming when it is too late to repent and return to the Lord, is a blessing for those who can see it. Christ our Lord wails over lost and wandering souls that they would come to Him. He wants to forgive their sins, He wants to forgive you. He calls you to live each moment of every day remembering His love and forgiveness in your baptism. Turn away from sin, hear and obey His Word, and change your ways. Today is your day, you are forgiven. Hosanna, Hosanna, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Amen.
